Grid integration and power quality testing of Marine Energy Converters: Research activities in the MaRINET Project

MaRINET Project funded by the EU through the 7th Framework Programme, aims to accelerate the development of marine renewable energy (wave, tidal, offshore-wind) by bringing together world-class testing facilities at all scales. It involves a total of 29 partners across the European Union and, besides providing free access to the test facilities, the main objectives of the project are to standardize the test procedures, and to innovate for improving test infrastructures and techniques. This paper will present the work carried out within the research activities regarding grid integration of Marine Energy Converters. For this purpose, a collation of European grid codes has been carried out, the impact of such grid codes on the structure and control of the marine farms has been analysed and finally a research on how marine energy devices should be tested to meet the grid integration constraints has been done.